Friday, 22 April 2011

I’ve pointed out several times that ‘The doe and the Dragon’ incorporates myths and legends from Arthurian North Wales. It also includes one story that has little to do with Wales, but which gave inspiration for one of the events in the novel.

The Napoleonic Wars are separated from Arthur by a thousand years, and then some, but there one event from the Napoleonic era that I couldn’t resist slipping into the novel. Legend is that a French ship was wrecked off the coast of Hartlepool, in north-east England. The only survivor was the ship’s monkey, who was dressed in a French uniform, and, naturally, spoke gibberish that the people of Hartlepool didn’t understand.

The locals hung the monkey as a French spy, and since then the good people of Hartlepool have been known – with varying degrees of affection - as ‘Monkey Hangers’.

The story may or may not be true, but I couldn’t resist having a couple of monkeys mistaken for the enemy by a naive character in ‘The Doe and the Dragon’. Of course, I don’t have the monkeys hung, they end up…well, you’ll just have to read the book!

Wednesday, 20 April 2011

So says prolific Black Horse Western author Philip McCormac about ‘The Doe and the Dragon’. Here are Phil’s comments in full:“There are those writers who do historical and are good at what they do. Then there are those who write horror and that’s good too. But Andrew Richardson melds the two and his talent is such it works excellently well. Throw these ingredients into a cauldron of Celtic savagery and magic and you wallow in a grim but spellbinding tale of heroic warriors and beautiful maidens.”

Sunday, 17 April 2011

‘The Doe and the Dragon’ is published on May 1. It’s a historical fantasy set around Welsh myths, in 5th century north Wales. The story includes legendary characters such as Merlin, Vortigern, Uther Pendragon, the Lady of the Lake, and Igraine in a historical setting.

Prince Einion, The Impetuous Warlord of Gwynedd, boasts that he fears nothing. Deep inside, though, he is terrified of beautiful women and would rather face a hundred Saxon warriors than have to approach a pretty maiden.

Breena, a settler-girl, captures Einion’s heart when he comes across her in an enchanted valley. His tongue dries and ties itself in knots, rendering him incapable of speech. She runs away, fearing he is a spirit form the Otherworld --but the smitten prince vows to woo her.

When Breena is captured by Einion’s enemy, the prince must overcome sadistic raiders, religious intolerance, and an ancient, violent evil in his attempt to rescue her. Only then can he try to win what he most desires-- the stunning woman who terrifies him more than any enemy he has faced on the battlefield.